Reflections on the books, poems, short stories, cereal boxes and small print I'm currently reading AND the films I'm getting to see upon occasion. . . .

Thursday, August 27, 2015

57. Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard

listened to on Audible
read by Amanda Dolan - superbly
2015 Orion
383 pgs.
YA Dystopia/Fantasy
Finished 8/23/2015Goodreads rating: 4.13
My rating: 5
Setting: "The Stilts" a poor, muddy lower class town and the summer palace of the highest of the upper class, in the future.

First line/s: "I hate First Friday. It makes the village crowded, and now, in the heat of high summer, that's the last thing that anyone wants. From my place in the shade it isn't so bad, but the stink of bodies, all sweating with the morning work, is enough to make milk curdle. The air shimmers with heat and humidity, and even the puddles from yesterday's storm are hot, swirling with rainbow streaks of oil and grease."

My comments: This book started out deliciously Hunger Games-y and whether scenes ... and people ... were eye-rollingly ridiculous, maddeningly perfect, or over-the-top malicious it really didn't matter to me. I loved this story from beginning to end. I'm not even sure why. It sparked the 16-year-old spitfire adventurer in me, and I'm betting this is a book that lots of YA females are going to embrace. Really REALLY looking forward to the next.

Postcard Stats Since August, 2015

About Me

I'm a newly-retired fourth grade classroom teacher, I've taught fifth grade, middle school literature, and college-level children's literature. Now I work as an assistant in the Youth Services department of a big public library....heaven! Originally from New England, I spent 14 years in the glorious sunshine of Tucson, Arizona, and moved a year ago to south central Pennsylvania - a new adventure! I adore my kids, my grandkids (I got married at "age 9"), my students, books and reading, quilts and quilting, yarn and knitting, papercrafts and altering books, genealogy, letterboxing, - and hitting the road to adventure far and wide. There are only two states that I've not yet visited, but I'm determined to get to all of them, even if I have to row.... Next goal? Foreign countries? US capitals or major cities?